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Warrizek of Sarindel
“Ambition is not a dirty word. Piss on compromise. Go for the throat.” -Warrizek History Once the General of Sarindel, Warrizek led a small garrison in the north of the Final Empire. A member of a new generation, he had been a minor knight during Emperor Monopoly's reign, and rose quickly during the chaos of the Doom. Considered ambitious and unorthodox, he was relegated to a position of little importance, where he and his soldiers would periodically exterminate marauding hobgoblins. He spent much of his time engaged in power struggles with the local nobility. Warrizek thirsted for action, and got his chance during Silvius and Brennen's rebellion. Sarindel was attacked by Fang Gorm, the Blademaster and warlord of Gorm's Bastion, and an ally of the rebels. Warrizek took full control of Sarindel, and held out stubbornly against Gorm, displaying a keen and ruthless tactical acumen. He would succeed in turning the tide of battle against his foe, and strike onward to sack Gorm's Bastion. Correctly estimating that the southern capital would fall, he seceded from the Final Empire, ruling for one year as King Warrizek I of Sarindel. He would eventually go to war with a large force led by Brennen of Alara, and having taken note of what happened to the city of Emperor's Tooth, cut his losses and surrendered. Only the loyalist Imperial generals, only Fax Gallengrand would hold out for longer. Under the new monarchy, Warrizek and Gallengrand would take the highest military positions. The two generals had a strong rivalry that bordered on open acrimony, and were swiftly separated from one another. Gallengrand would be given the majority of the forces, and have control of military matters in the southern Final Empire. Meanwhile, Warrizek would accompany Brennen northwards to the Northern Dome with the remaining troops, to set up camp there. Warrizek works closely with Brennen, and the two have established a rapport. He takes interest in Brennen's research, especially as regards instruments of war, and is keen to incorporate them into his arsenal. It was Warrizek who was charged with drafting a plan for the invasion of Jotunheim, should the need arise, and with the start of the War of the Philosopher-Kings, it would seem that Warrizek's hour of glory has come. Personality Keenly ambitious, Warrizek was a professional soldier through and through. His talents were considerable, his courage never in doubt, and his discipline of the highest caliber. He was aware of these qualities, and had a high opinion of himself, often rubbing people the wrong way. He was a fitting understudy to Emperor Brennen, for the two respected each other greatly, as fellow soldiers and rationalists. Warrizek never concerned himself over matters of principle, and cherished victory as the highest of honors. By the time he took up service for the Reich, Warrizek had become something of a living legend, a survivor of a hundred disparate battlefields and a general fit to lead humanity in its darkness hour. His own men from the Final Empire revered him, calling him "Old King Sarindel", while soldiers of other countries were intimidated by him and called him the Torch of Utgard. His presence made others stand to attention, and his judgement had the heavy authority of bitterly won experience. Throughout his long and bloody life, Warrizek had known nothing but war. He fought for four monarchs - Monopoly, Nim Lawfey, Brennen, and Reise Forrawyn - and briefly for himself, as King of Sarindel. As he entered his old age, Warrizek would grow to become haunted by what he saw as the futility of his life. The world had not changed, and mankind's endless appetite for power and glory was unsated. He felt used. In his final service to Reise Forrawyn, he allowed himself to hope for the first time that what he was doing was just and right. The Fuhrer's daughter captivated him, and at the end of his life, he was able to put aside his slavish devotion to rationalism and believe in something higher than himself. War of the Philosopher-Kings Warrizek worked closely with Emperor Brennen to modernize the Final Empire's army, proving very receptive to arcane and technological advances, and a skilled hand at integrating these changes. Warrizek would capably lead the imperial ground troops during the attacks on the Arendurian survivors and on the Kingdom of Jotunheim, solidifying his reputation as a hard-driving commander and keen tactician. Warrizek commands the defense of the Northern Dome against the troops from the Reich Nördlich, expecting to face the entirety of Franz Forrawyn's army. Instead, Forrawyn leaves his troops in reserve, and breaks through Warrizek's lines with his Hexenjägers; a suicidal assault from which there would be no return. Not having expected such recklessness, Warrizek was unable to prevent Forrawyn and his men from reaching the northern dome, where Twin-Emperor Brennen would immolate himself upon the throne to kill the entire invading force. With nowhere to go, the surviving imperials would turn to Warrizek for leadership. Realizing that the troops from the Reich were similarly bereft of their leader and their finest troops, and cognizant of the fact that the Final Empire would not survive the war, Warrizek would peruse negotiations with Reise Forrawyn. The two would agree to merge their troops under Forrawyn's banner, with the aim of unifying the north into a single country; the Reich. Already an old man, Warrizek would agree to lend the experience of his lifetime of war towards realizing her dream and ending the War of the Philosopher-Kings. The two would succeed in their conquest of the north, and Warrizek would be rewarded with command of the Reich's armed forces, leaving him as the highest ranking former imperial leader with any power. After the War Thoroughly spent by sixty years of war and statecraft, Warrizek would retire soon after the unification of the Frostfell, but served as an informal adviser to Reise Forrawyn. He maintained close correspondence with the founders of St. Franz's College, telling them what he knew of the Northern Dome, and would die in peaceful old age. Category:Final Empire Category:Islands of the Blessed Category:Dead Category:Monarchs Category:The Reich